


Tokens of Love

by TheSoggySchuyler4



Series: We Walk This Earth United [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Big Brother Clint Barton, Clint is Skye's Brother, F/M, Phil Coulson & Melinda May are Skye's Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22512073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSoggySchuyler4/pseuds/TheSoggySchuyler4
Summary: Clint briefly finds and then loses his sister. When it happens again, she wears a different name, and a face he no longer recognises. They keep trying anyway.Or, the story of the Barton Siblings and the overlapping stories over the years
Relationships: Clint Barton & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Series: We Walk This Earth United [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638472
Comments: 17
Kudos: 154





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1983, August 4th: Barney Barton is born  
> 1987, January 7th: Clint Barton is born  
> 1994: Clint and Barney’s father is arrested. Clint and Barney join the circus  
> 2000, July 2nd: Daisy Johnson is born  
> 2001, February 9th: Clint gets arrested and returned to his mother, and new boyfriend  
> 2001, March 11th: Clint runs away with Daisy, leaving her at St. Agnes orphanage

Clint Barton was 13 years old when they sent him back to his Ma. He'd been seven when dad had been arrested, and Barney had reacted by taking his little brother and running away from the circus. Barney was probably dead now, which was definitely for the best. He'd been discovered wandering deliriously along the road, and the police had identified him as one of the runaway Barton boys pretty quickly. There was no sneaking away after that. 

Ma arrived with her new boyfriend, Cal, and they both gave him plenty of hugs and kisses at the police station. Cal waited until they reached the house before he gave Clint a beating. Clint kept his mouth shut and didn't fight back. He knew it wasn't worth the effort. Cal beat him every night, as if to remind him who was in charge. His ears came out the worst, and it occurred to him that he was probably at least partially deaf now. At least he could still shoot a bow. 

He learnt about his baby half sister the following morning, because apparently Ma and Cal were the kind of parents to leave six month old babies alone in a house for the evening without food. Her name was Daisy, and Clint loved her instantly. He loved her so much that when Cal got so mad that he beat Ma within an inch of death, Clint took Daisy and left.

"The Circus ain't no place for a baby, Hawkeye" Charlie scoffed. Clint shifted Daisy in his arms.

"I couldn't leave her there" He explained, turning to Magda, whose face softened in sympathy. Most of the circus performers were haunted with similar stories of abuse, and Magda was no exception.

"There's an orphanage not far from here," she told him, "they'll take her." The words were gentle but firm. It was an instruction, not a choice. Clint nodded painfully. 

The orphanage was a fifteen minute walk from the circus grounds, and it was cold and wet, but he kept Daisy safe and warm underneath his jumper. She slept on obliviously. It was quiet when he arrived, which made things easier. He just had to put Daisy on the doorstep, knock on the door and run like hell. Except, he didn't want her to be alone. He wanted her to know that he'd cared. He took his circus token (a round bronze coin showing an angel Gabriel praying) and threaded the twine in his pocket through the small hole that had formed over the years. There. He tied it around Daisy's neck as best as he could and stepped away. Part of him knew that they'd probably never meet again, but at least this way, he'd know it was her. At least now there was a chance. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Clint rapped harshly on the door and began to run. He prayed she would be safe there.


	2. Shield Enters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2004: Clint leaves the circus for the second time, and becomes an assassin, drawing the attention of Shield  
> Late 2005: Shield recruits Clint  
> 2007, March 31st: Mary-Sue Poots comes into contact with Terrigen Mist whilst staying with a Foster family, activating her inhuman ability, caused by experimentations done by her father as a baby  
> 2007, September 9th: May and Coulson are sent to investigate earthquakes at St Agnes’s Orphanage, leading then to Mary-Sue Poots; Clint disobeys orders and recruits Natasha; Laura treats Mary-Sue’s injuries

Clint became an assassin when he was 17. It was rare for anyone to actually pay him, and most of his victims were douchebags who touched little girls on the streets, but assassin sounded way cooler than other titles. He kept his circus moniker of Hawkeye, because he needed a code name, and he still felt an obligation for the performers who had practically raised him. Magda and Charlie were probably in prison now though, he realised.

He killed the two dirty politicians with ease, planting an arrow right between their eyes. The arrows made a pleasant _thwip_ as they twisted through the air, and Clint smiled cheerfully. He turned slowly and began to walk away, only just noticing the man, and the metal pole swinging towards his head.

He woke up in a prison cell.

"Can I get a burger in here?" He yelled out. It was unlikely they'd left him totally unsupervised, he figured, and maybe they'd explain what was going on. A man appeared almost instantly, looking more irritated than actually annoyed. Clint figured that was probably a good thing.

" Clint Barton? I'm an Agent of SHIELD, and we are interested in making use of your... talents."

Clint jutted his chin out defiantly and refused to say anything. He had never heard of Shield, and he wasn't sure how this guy knew his real name. He'd done a real good job of keeping it under wraps. The man sighed.

" Look, the police aren't exactly fond of vigilantes, and they are very keen to see you locked away for several counts of murder. We're giving you another option"

Clint scowled. He wasn’t a dumb Vigilante. That would mean wearing a stupid costume and having some concept of morals. He’d done enough of that at the Circus.  
“Not interested. “He responded easily. Maybe this idiot would let him go if he showed that he didn’t want to be here. The balding guy raised an eyebrow and shut the door behind him.

“Not offering,” he responded, “Either you join us, or face the death sentence.”

Clint ran a hand over his face and shot the man a sardonic grin.

“Guess you should be welcoming me to SHIELD then, huh?”

“Guess I should.”

* * *

\--2 Years Later--

“Mary-Sue Poots! Come here this instant! If you’re hiding again, there’ll be a punishment.”

The little girl in question had in fact been hiding. The big children had been hitting her, and she didn’t want them to see her cry, so she’d run away. Her favourite hiding spot was the hole behind the fireplace in the Baby Nursery. She kept all of her important things there, like her stone that looked like a heart, and her coin necklace. The necklace was the most important, because she had come with it. It was the only thing that really belonged to her. Best of all though, the sisters only came into the Baby Nursery when someone was crying, so as long as she stayed quiet, no one would look for her there!

“Sorry Sister Margaret.” She began to run down the stairs, before remembering that she wasn’t allowed to run, and skidded to a halt. Sister Margaret gave her a disapproving stare.

“Hadley claims that you have been pulling on her braids.” Mary gasped. She hadn't even touched Hadley!

“I didn’t! She's lying!” She cried out. Hadley, who stood by the stairs, let out a very convincing sob. Sister Margret frowned and shook her head.

“This is the third incident this month, Mary-Sue. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the punishment room.” Hadley shot Mary a vindictive smirk, but it was gone before Sister Margaret could see. Mary Sue scowled. It was so unfair!

Sister Jane dragged her by the arm to the punishment room, and Mary-Sue struggled to get away. The punishment room was horrible! They handcuffed you to the wall, and left you in the dark and the damp for hours, and you couldn't ever leave to go to the toilet, or get food whilst there. Sometimes, the other children would sneak in and hit her with sticks or metal poles until she cried or vomited (usually both), which only incited them further.

Mary-Sue felt the overwhelming fear and anger threaten to swallow her whole, and she threw her hands over her ears, letting out a guttural scream. The ground seemed to shake beneath her very feet, and she vaguely heard the sisters uttering terrified prayers, which only caused her to scream louder. She felt Sister Jane release her and back away, and relaxed a little, the scream dying on her lips. Mary-Sue remained shakily on the ground, but no one tried to touch her. Instead, she realised, the sisters were rushing outside with the other children. After a moment, she worked out that they were heading for the Chapel, but the doors slammed shut and bolted before she got there. Mary-Sue pouted and slumped to the ground.

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, sat alone in the gravel drive, humming a made-up tune under her breath, but the sky began to get dark. She felt like crying, but she wasn’t sure when the other children would come back out, and she didn’t want them to tease her.

“Hello?”

Mary-Sue jumped at the unexpected voice and whirled around. She’d been so wound up and stuck in her own head that she hadn’t even heard the car pull up, or the man and woman climb out. They looked fairly young, if apprehensive and maybe a bit confused. Were it not for their all Black attire, Mary-Skye might have described them as ‘parent-like’, With the man’s receding hairline, and the woman’s kind eyes. They stared at her. She stared back.

“You can’t go in the Chapel,” She informed them, “They locked it.”

The adults looked even more confused, and they kept glancing at each other, like they were talking wordlessly. That would be cool if they could, Skye thought.  
“We’re actually here about the earthquakes.” The man told her after a minute. He was the one who had spoken earlier, and his voice was so soft and warm that Mary-Sue instantly felt safe. She thought about the shaking earlier and how it had come at the same time as her screaming. Maybe she could help them? After all, she was the proud owner of the Earthquake Machine, and it did listen to her.  
“Are you secret agents?” the adults looked thrown by the question, and for a moment she thought she’d been wrong. But then the woman spoke up, her eyes sparkling like the sun.

“I’m agent May, and this is agent Coulson. Who are you?”

Mary-Sue lit up at the response, and she grabbed both of their hands, dragging them back towards the main building.

“I’m agent Skye,” she babbled, using her favourite pretend name, “and I’ve been looking after the earthquake machine ‘til now. But you can have it okay?” After all, Mary-Sue thought; if they were agents, then they were probably Good guys, and if they were Good guys, then she had to help them. Even if it meant giving up one of the only things she owned.

* * *

Phil hadn’t been sure what to expect when Maria had assigned he and Mel to St Agnes’. The mission itself was standard. Go in, retrieve the O84, get out again. He hadn’t known it was an orphanage. He hadn’t expected Skye.

He hadn’t spotted her at first, when they pulled up. She was so quiet, curled up on the gravel, all alone. She’d jumped when he spoke, making him feel bad for scaring her. She was just a little kid after all. But then she’d accepted them so easily, the second Melinda introduced them as agents, and he was surprised by how nice it felt, to have that tiny warm hand in his.

Skye led them into the largest building, pulling then up some stairs and into one of the rooms. It was obviously used for the youngest children, from the cribs lining the walls, but they were all empty now. Phil wondered if they had been taken into the Chapel too, or if there just weren’t any babies left. It was hard to tell.

“You hafta close your eyes for this bit. It’s secret.” Skye announced suddenly, and she pressed his hands over his eyes, presumably doing the same for Mel. It was absolutely adorable, even if he wasn’t convinced Skye could actually help. He certainly wouldn’t say no to the slight detour.

“Okay. Open them” Phil blinked his eyes open and peered down at the object in Skye’s hands. It was a hula doll, bobbing up and down on its little green platform. He struggled not to laugh at the sight. It certainly didn’t look like an O84, and especially not one so destructive, but he could be wrong.

“May we see how it works, Skye?” May asked suddenly. The little girl beamed and nodded her head enthusiastically.

“I gotta focus suuuuper hard.” She explained to them, squeezing her eyes tightly shut in concentration. Phil bit back another laugh, and saw May doing the same. Skye was just too cute with her little scrunched up face. The ground shuddered suddenly beneath their feet, and Phil yelped, staring in shock at Skye. It was painfully obvious that she had done that, not the toy. Skye opened her eyes and gazed curiously at him.

“What’s wrong? I told it to make a baby quake, so it did.” She looked so devastated to have upset Phil that he hurried to remedy the situation.

“I was just surprised, that’s all.” Skye looked relieved and held out the toy for May to take. May looked towards Phil instead, her eyes clearly asking him what they should do. He jerked his head subtly in Skye’s direction in response.

_'She’s the one causing the earthquakes'_

May gave an almost imperceptible nod, her eyes flickering towards the door.

_'Agreed. We should take her with us.'_

“Hey Skye,” Phil said aloud, “How do you feel about going on an adventure?”

* * *

The nearest Shield base was, thankfully, relatively small, and May was grateful for the later hour as they hurried Skye through the halls. The little girl hadn’t asked many questions (especially considering they had technically kidnapped her), but she still seemed surprised at their quick pace. May wondered if she had even noticed the subtle stares of the other agents, whose spy training allowed then to be at least somewhat covert in their curiosity. Probably not, May decided.

They’d agreed on the journey over that they would take Skye to medical First. Even without needing to determine the cause of her powers, the grubby top she wore had ridden up earlier, revealing a disturbing tapestry of bruises across her stomach. May was keen to make sure there were no others. Dr Laura Mitchell appeared in the doorway of a private room and waved cheerfully. May had only met the Young Doctor a couple of times, but her easy-going smile and friendly attitude had stuck with her. When they’d been considering who to request, Laura had been the obvious choice.

“Hi there, Skye! Is it okay if I give you a check-up today?”

Skye hesitated, glancing up at May and Phil in a way that fully evoked her trust of them. May smiled reassuringly and nudged the little girl forwards.

“Will it hurt?” Skye asked, watching from the bed as Dr Mitchell set up her equipment. The adults glanced at her in surprise.

“It might be a little uncomfortable,” Dr Mitchell admitted honestly, “But I promise it won’t hurt. And if it does, you can tell me and I’ll stop.”

Skye looked stunned by that revelation, but said nothing else, lying back to allow Dr Mitchell to examine her.

“I’m going to trust you,” she spoke up suddenly, “‘Cos Agent May and Coulson do. And I don’t think you’re like the sisters. You’re too nice.”

She said nothing else for the rest of the exam. May waited a moment, to make sure Skye was going to be okay, but eventually she left. Skye would probably be hungry, she figured, and she knew it would take a while to find some proper food.

* * *

By the time May had located some child appropriate food for Skye to eat, the girl’s history of abuse and neglect was painfully apparent. Skye chattered away to Laura, oblivious to the muttered discussion in the adjoining room.

“Laura says she’s clearly been severely abused.” Phil explained, “She’s covered in bruises, and shows signs of extended malnourishment. Possibly deliberate starvation, though I doubt it was on Skye’s part. She’s never had any vaccinations, as far as Laura can tell, and… May. Laura says she thinks Skye was experimented on. Her blood was tampered with at an early age. Something was embedded into her genetic code, allowing her to develop these superhuman abilities at a later stage. We’re not sure what activated her powers though.”

May nodded slowly, allowing the upset and anger that she felt slip through her mask. This was Phil. She didn’t have to hide her emotions from him.

“She’d be safer with us.” She murmured softly. Already she couldn’t imagine leaving this little girl behind. She allowed herself to picture tucking Skye into bed, combing her hair, nurturing her as much as that child deserved.

Phil was already nodding. He’d had the same thought himself but had been nervous to find out what May thought. They both knew she could be the more stubborn and reluctant one of the pair.

“Let’s adopt her then.” May pulled him into a rare hug, smiling into the crook of his shoulder. She’d wanted a child for a while now, but they’d both known how hard that would be. May probably would have had to leave Shield permanently if she wanted to conceive naturally. Skye, with her cheeky grins and light giggles, was the answer to all of their problems. She was perfect.

Phil groaned as his phone buzzed, bringing an end to their soft moment.

“It’s Fury,” he announced wearily, “Apparently Clint went and brought in the Black Widow. Says she deserves a second chance. That she’s just a kid.”

May laughed, entirely unsurprised by Clint’s actions. He’d been trained by Phil, after all. Both of them had a huge soft spot for strays.

“Go on,” She urged him,” I’ll look after our girl for a while.”

They headed back into the main room, where Skye had finished her food and was watching them curiously.

“I have to go,” Phil informed Laura, “Clint’s just arrived back with the Black Widow and Fury’s fuming”

The Young doctor lit up at the news of Clint’s return, flushing slightly at Phil and May’s knowing smirks.

“I’m sure we can cope.” She replied eventually, winking at Skye. May thought of the collection of Disney movies Clint had introduced to the base and grinned. They would be just fine.


	3. The Battle of New York Pt1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2011, May 1st: Skye and Clint unknowingly reunite; Loki steals the Tesseract and mind controls Clint and Selvig  
> 2011, May 3rd: Loki is captured and taken onto the Helicarrier

Skye Coulson was 11 (and very proud of her name) when her papa died. She didn’t know that he had actually died until a long time later, but that was still the truth of it. When Skye Coulson was 11 her papa died.

Skye was very used to a life of travel. Even before she had her mama and papa, and Shield (and Laura, of course), she had Foster families who uprooted her from the Orphanage and tossed her halfway across the country. Not that she was complaining. The Shield bases and different countries they visited were always so unique, and she got to practice all the languages mama taught her when they went. She was good at languages, though not so much at reading them. Mama said it wasn’t her fault, and papa said he was proud of her no matter what. She still liked the base in Iowa best though, because that was where Laura worked.

This base was boring. She’d explored it all in like, three hours, and both her parents were still super busy, so now she had nothing to do. She considered trying to hack into one the servers again, but Fury always got so mad that it wasn’t even worth it most of the time. Skye groaned, swinging her legs over the railing and peering curiously down at the glowing blue cube below her.

“You shouldn’t be up here.”

Skye barely reacted to the voice behind her. She hadn’t known he was there, but after three years with some of the best agents as her parents, someone coming up behind her didn’t even faze her anymore. She turned coolly to look at the agent. He was pretty young, like Laura, and had the kind of face that looked like it should always be smiling. It wasn’t.

“My parents said I could come up here.” She lied quickly. She’d learnt that most agents would leave her be if it seemed like she had actual permission. The agent gave her a look.

“I somehow doubt that. Nobody knows this place even exists.” He retorted. The man edged towards the railing and leant over it, eyes flickering towards the blue cube. Skye giggled, pleased that she’d discovered somewhere most people didn’t even know about.

“Well, I know now.” She pointed out, enjoying the man’s look of frustration. There was a pause, as he seemed to be thinking of something to say, but then he frowned.

“I’m going to assume that your parents are actually agents, so you know how to follow orders” He said suddenly. Skye bit her lip and crinkled her eyebrows but nodded slowly. Mama and papa had always said to listen to an agent when they gave a direct order.

“Good. I need you to climb down from here and run as fast as you can away from the base. Don’t stop for anything.”

Skye hated the cold icy feeling of dread that washed over her. She nodded, gave him a short, shaky salute, and began to climb. Her mind was racing. Would mama and papa be okay? What if they didn’t know there was a danger and they got stuck? What if she never saw them again? Skye felt sick, and she scowled at the familiar tremors that ran through her body. She was really good at controlling her powers now, but whenever she got genuinely scared, it was hard to remember what mama had taught her. Skye took a deep breath as her feet touched the ground, and she broke off into a run. It was a really good thing she’d explored the base so thoroughly.

* * *

The evacuation alarm went off pretty much the instant Skye felt the rush of cool air hit her face. It was refreshing and disorienting at the same time, and she glanced around for her parents, but they weren’t there. Unsurprising. They were Good agents, the best. Neither would leave before they knew everyone was safe. There were agents everywhere, but none paid any attention to her. They were too busy worrying about their own safety.

“Skye!” her Mama’s voice carried through the brisk air, causing several agents to jump out of the way. Skye breathed a sigh of relief. At least she had one of her parents to keep her safe. Mama pulled her into a tight but brief hug, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she led her towards a truck.

“There’s been an incident,” Mama explained, “Your papa’s sorting it, but we need to get far away in case something goes wrong.”

Skye nodded silently. Her parents had been in life threatening situations before, but they were always okay afterwards. Why wouldn’t they be? They were the best.

The truck pulled away and they sat in an uncomfortable silence. There were three other agents besides her and Mama, though she didn’t recognise any of them. Mama muttered something to the tall blonde woman to her left, and they both frowned. Skye stifled a groan, wishing someone would tell her what was actually going on.

“Can we play a game?” she giggled a little at the stunned looks of the other agents. They were both men, and probably older than her mama. Neither seemed like the kind of people to play childish games. The woman on the hand…

“What do you want to play?” Skye cheered as mama groaned.

“Don’t encourage her Bobbi. Once we played ‘I Spy’ and she won because she chose ‘God’. We spent all afternoon trying to guess because she wouldn’t let us give up!” Mama complained. Bobbi laughed and began to tell some wild (and probably hugely inappropriate) story about her and her boyfriend Hunter, who sounded hilarious. Afterwards, they played several word games, until Skye felt her eyes beginning to droop, and she curled up in her mama’s lap, content in the knowledge that they, at least, were safe.

* * *

May was trying very hard not to cry. It was a losing battle. She’d been in a meeting when the alarm went off, and her first thought had been Skye. That little girl was her whole world, and she didn’t think she could bear it if anything happened to her. She’d been tempted to search the whole base looking for her, but Bobbi had persuaded her otherwise.

“From what you told me, Skye’s a smart girl. She’ll have found her way out and she’ll be right there waiting for you.”

Once this was all over, May was going to make Phil remind her never to doubt Bobbi.

The truck was well away from the base by now, and, logically, May knew that they were perfectly safe. They could get a ride to LA, and from there, she’d take Skye to a safe house. Still, she was exhausted, and her nerves were shattered. It was probably a good thing that Bobbi had so kindly distracted her daughter, since May knew she was in no position to do so herself. It helped, a little, to feel Skye curled up in her lap. The warm presence kept her grounded, and stopped her (at least fractionally) from fretting about Phil. He’d be fine, probably. She had to keep telling herself that.

After several hours, they pulled into a truck stop, and May carried Skye out. She wished farewell to Bobbi, and gave the other two agents a warning look, and began to walk. The safe house wasn’t too far from the stop, and she didn’t trust the unfamiliar agents with its location, so walking was best. Even if it meant carrying Skye most of the way. The little girl was small for her age, and mercifully light, so it didn’t even bother her too much.

It was nearly light when they finally arrived, Skye blearily rubbing her eyes, and May too tired to speak. She tucked Skye into the only bed and deposited herself on the sofa. She’d get up in a minute. She just wanted to close her eyes for a moment.

* * *

Mama was still sleeping when Skye woke up. She found the burner phone with Papa’s number on it and checked the time, careful to be quiet. Mama deserved the extra sleeping time. 11.00am. She toyed with the idea of calling papa, but if he was working, she knew he wouldn’t want to be disturbed. Maybe tomorrow? If Mama said she could.

The safe house was cute, if small. It only had one bedroom, with the ‘guest’ room having been left as a study. The living room had a sofa bed, but Mama had clearly been to tired to pull it out earlier. Skye glanced into the Study, grinning when she spotted a decent looking computer. It wasn’t Stark Industries, but there was definitely enough RAM for her purposes, along with a reasonable Hard Drive and Processor. She sat down and began hacking some random sites. Mama probably wouldn’t be thrilled to know what she was up to, but since it wasn’t technically illegal, she figured it was okay.  
After a long time, her stomach began to complain, and Skye frowned. She doubted Mama had acquired any food last night, and most of the cupboards had been empty when she’d checked. After another search, Skye discovered a rather bruised banana, as well as some disgusting looking coffee grains, which were well past their best before date. She ate the banana and through away the coffee, safe in the knowledge that Mama wouldn’t want it. Sighing, Skye headed over to the window and peered out. To her surprise, they were in a reasonably populated area, meaning there was a good chance of a supermarket nearby.

“Skye?” She glanced up at the sound of her Mama’s soft voice, still fuzzy from sleep, “Go and find something to eat, sweetheart. There’s money by the door.”  
Mama had sat up, which meant she probably planned on getting up. She still looked exhausted, but Skye knew better than to argue when Mama was like this. Instead, she pulled on her shoes, grabbed the money mama had mentioned and headed out.

* * *

May waited until Skye was well away from the house before she lunged for the burner phone, fumbling to type in Phil’s number and ring him. For a moment, she panicked that he’d lost his phone, or that he was injured somewhere and couldn’t answer, but then his voice crackled through the machine.

“Mel? Are you alright? Did you and Skye get to safety?” May sank back into the sofa in relief. Phil was alive. That was the main thing.

“We’re both fine,” She assured him, “Skye went to get food. We’re at a safe house.”

There was a pause before Phil replied, and she realised he was probably trying to order some other agents around simultaneously.

“That’s good. Look, I need to go, Clint’s been compromised, and Natasha is a mess. Fury wants to enact the Avenger’s Protocol.”

May winced, hearing the unspoken message. She wanted to ask about Clint, but realised it was a bad time. Phil could tell her later, when everything was cleared up again.

“Stay safe,” She reminded him, “And try not to fanboy too hard. I might let Skye call you tomorrow if there’s a good time?”

There was a longer pause before Phil’s stilted reply came back.

“Tell her I’ll call her when I can. I’ll try to get Captain America’s autograph for her too. She’ll like that.”

May snorted a laugh and said goodbye, hanging up the phone before he could reply. He probably wouldn’t have anyway, knowing how much she disliked goodbyes, but it was better safe than sorry. May glanced up at the sound of the door rattling. Good. She was starving.

* * *

Papa called just before bedtime the following day, and Skye couldn’t stop smiling as they chatted. Apparently, Captain America was exactly like in the stories Papa always told her, and he promised to get an Autograph whenever he could.

“Don’t come on too strong, Papa,” Skye giggled, “People don’t like that.”

Skye could practically hear her Papa’s indignance as he scoffed, and vehemently denied ever coming on too strongly. Mama, who was listening quietly from the living room, stifled a laugh.

“Your Papa sent me twenty messages in a row when I finally gave him my number.” She teased, amused by Skye’s expression. Skye doubled over with laughter, as Papa spluttered on the other end of the phone.

“Tell him to sign my Captain America Vintage Cards, papa” Skye spoke gleefully, “We’ll call later.”

The phone beeped to indicate that Papa had hung up and she turned to her Mama.

“Can we practice some more ASL? I don’t think I’ve quite got the hang of the grammar yet.”

Mama looked thrilled to have been asked and she immediately shifted on the sofa so that they were facing each other.

“Show me what you remember,” Mama instructed, “Tell me one of your Papa’s stories in ASL, please. Full grammar. If you make a mistake, start again.”

Skye beamed and began to sign.

'Captain America was sent on a mission to take down the Hydra agents with his best friend Bucky Barnes. They were the coolest team ever…'

* * *

Phil was laughing as he hung up the phone. Skye never failed to amuse him, with her jokes and easy conversation.

“Who’s that?”

Phil jumped as Natasha approached from behind. They’d known each other for several years, but he was sure that he’d never get used to the redhead sneaking up on him like that. Her eyes sparkled, and he realised she probably knew exactly what she was doing.

“My daughter.” It was difficult to keep a straight face at the sight of utter confusion on Natasha’s.

“Wait- Coulson, you-“

Phil let out another laugh, and strode away, making a mental note to get a screenshot of Natasha’s facial expression later. May would be thoroughly amused, and he was sure Skye would love it too.  
He headed towards his locker to find the Captain America cards. Phil had owned a decent collection from his childhood, but after Skye had been introduced to the Avenger (and subsequently taken up her dad’s obsession with him), collecting the cards had become one of their favourite bonding activities, besides reading the comics together. May had languages, and Martial Arts to bond with Skye over, but Phil had this.

His walkie talkie buzzed.

“Phil, we have a situati- Get to the- Loki is- can’t esc-“

Phil tossed the defective machine away and broke into a sprint. The cards could wait. He had an emo God to apprehend.


	4. The Battle of New York Pt2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2011, May 4th: Coulson is badly injured and goes to Hospital; the battle of New York takes place; Skye and Clint are officially introduced but are unaware of their relation.

“May. This is Fury. Coulson is at the Shield Hospital in Iowa. I have sent a Quinjet to your location. Do not contact this number.”

* * *

Mama was crying. It wasn’t that Skye wasn’t shaken about Fury’s message. Of course she was. She just hadn’t expected Mama to react so terribly. Mama was always so strong, even when they knew Papa would be in danger.

Fury had given no information about Papa’s condition, or even if he was alive. For all she knew, they could be on their way to retrieve a body. Skye cringed at the thought, glancing back at Mama. Mama didn’t need her to be pessimistic or cynical right now.

“He probably just has a paper cut.”

She heard a quiet snort from Mama’s corner of the Quinjet, which Skye took as a victory, although the crying didn’t stop. Skye shifted uncomfortably. She wasn’t good with crying. It reminded her of the Orphanage, and the punishments the Sisters would give if they found a child crying for no good reason. The Sisters, Skye thought, would have considered this a bad reason. They were awful that way.

A distorted voice from the cockpit announced that they were descending, and Skye strapped in. Hopefully papa would be okay. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he wasn’t.

* * *

The hospital was as stiff and white as they always were, but somehow, May felt that this one was the worst she had ever entered. Everything was cold and gloomy, as if Phil were already dead.

She clutched Skye’s hand so tightly that the poor girl had probably lost all feeling in it, but May couldn’t bring herself to care. She needed Skye’s quiet comfort at that very moment. A small, deeply buried part of herself taunted her for being a terrible mother. If Phil was gone, there was no way May could look after Skye alone. She wasn’t good enough. She would corrupt her girl. May pushed the thought away and told Skye to sit in the waiting room so she could talk to the doctors. Skye didn’t need to hear this from a strange doctor that she didn’t know.

“I apologise for the wait,” The plump faced man began, “You’ll be able to see him soon. The nurses are just preparing the room.” May felt her heart crumble into a thousand pieces, her breath crushed under the weight of the pressing silence. Phil was gone.

“In my professional opinion, I believe we should be able to wake him up in about two weeks. His body needs time to recover but- “

“Phil’s alive?”

The man faltered, his face going a little red as he seemed to search for how best to reply.

“I- yes? I’m sorry. I was under the impression that your friend would have filled you in?” May shook her head slowly, attempting to gather herself.

“Mr Coulson was badly injured by a strange sort of sword. Our on-site paramedics were able to reach him before he lost too much blood, but he did technically die for 43 seconds before we were able to fully stabilise him. We placed him into a medically induced coma to allow him to heal more efficiently. He’s expected to make a full recovery”

May, overwhelmed by the simultaneous stress and relief of learning that Phil was going to be okay, could have just about fainted at that very moment.

* * *

Mama fell asleep not long after they were let into Papa’s room. The doctor said that as it was a SHIELD hospital, they held none of the usual limitations for visiting hours, which Skye considered a good thing, since she had no intention of waking Mama. Mama was slumped in the plastic chair by Papa’s side, her hand clutching his, with her head resting on his shoulder. It looked unbelievably uncomfortable, but Skye wasn’t going to move her. Mama had been so stressed and worried about Papa ever since they’d evacuated the base, and she knew mama hadn’t slept properly. She needed this.

Skye wriggled in her own chair and moved to look out the door. She frowned curiously at the doctors and nurses, who were all staring art TV screens instead of working. Maybe there was something cool happening? Glancing over at mama, Skye concluded that she probably wouldn’t wake up from the TV and switched it on, turning to volume down to almost zero at expert speed. This wouldn’t be the first time she’d watched TV when her parents were sleeping.

It was immediately obvious what the adults were watching. The Avengers were fighting Aliens right in the middle of New York City! Skye’s mouth flew open as she watched carefully. She spotted Captain America straight away, and the Hulk soon after. Captain America looked just as cool as in papa’s stories, and Skye made a mental note to make papa tell her this one when he woke up. He could definitely make it way more exciting than the boring reporters were.

Skye finally located Iron Man zooming overhead with his propellers and cheered silently in her brain. The Avengers were so cool! They were obviously going to win too. The good guys always won, and the Avengers were some of the best, not including her mama and papa. Nobody could top them.

She watched for a while, determined not to miss anything so she could tell Papa everything later, but eventually her eyes got drowsy and sticky, like they didn’t want to be open anymore. Skye sighed softly. Maybe if she just closed them for a second, they’d be awake again? She wanted to finish watching first. Just a second then. She wouldn’t even miss a thing.

* * *

Skye woke to the distinct lack of TV, and the worrying sound of unfamiliar voices outside her papa’s room. The nurses had obviously been into the room recently, hence the lack of TV, and the lights being off. Skye, who had already worked out that she couldn’t be seen from outside, peered carefully. There were two people talking, their shoulders jiggling oddly just above the frosted glass. She couldn’t see the rest of their bodies in the clear glass, but it was obvious that they weren’t doctors or nurses. They were covered in cuts and bruises, which were obvious even with the limited view.

Skye bit her lip. She wasn’t stupid. Mama and Papa had a lot of enemies- ones that would take full advantage of her parents being so vulnerable right now. They’d tried that before, like when Mama had taken her for ice cream, and the scary men had tried to grab her. Mama had been too badass for them, but she knew it was always a risk. The people outside could easily be bad people. One of the people reached for the door, and Skye stiffened. Even if she woke Mama now, there was no way she’d be in a position to fight bad guys.

Thinking quickly, she rolled under the bed, sliding backwards so that she was completely submerged in shadows. Nobody would notice her down there unless they were really looking, and Skye had to hope these people weren’t. She would be in trouble if they were.

* * *

“I’m telling you Clint, he said he did. You don’t think he and May-?”

Clint shook his head rapidly, as he reached for the door.

“Nu uh. No way. Phil would’ve told us if that was true. He was messing with you. Probably just wanted to see if he could catch you off guard.”

Natasha scowled but followed him into the room. She knew what she’d heard. And She knew Phil. She was an expert in detecting lies, but nothing Phil had said sounded like a lie. He and May could easily have made a little kid together and hidden it from everyone. Clint of all people should know how very possible that was to do. Even if both parents were SHIELD agents. It still could work.

“Look,” Clint hissed, “No kid here. What? You think she’s some ghost? If Phil and May had a cute little Philinda baby, don’t you think she’d be here? Y’know, with her parents?”

Natasha rolled her eyes and gestured to under the bed. She had noticed the subtle disruption of the shadows the second they’d walked in. Clint raised an eyebrow and lifted his hands to sign,

‘Philinda baby? Why’s she hiding?’

Natasha couldn’t help snorting at the sign Clint used for ‘Philinda’. It was a combination of the sign for Nanny, and hero. She quickly signed back,

‘She’s probably scared. Doesn’t know who we are?’

Glancing over at May, Natasha realised that the poor woman was in an extremely uncomfortable position and would likely get a crick in her neck if she stayed like that. She turned back to Clint, getting his attention so that she could sign,

‘I’m going to move May so she’s more comfortable.’

Clint nodded his understanding, still half watching the child under the bed. He reached up and began fiddling with his hearing aids, which had been knocked out in an EMP blast and broken. Tony had said he’d try to replace them, but there was no telling how long that would take, and Clint refused to wear his spares, which he said were too small and painful to use.

* * *

Skye watched with bated breath as the two strangers entered the room. The man whispered something to the woman, but then they stopped talking at all. She wondered if maybe they were signing, but it was too dark, and the wrong angle to see properly. Skye watched in horror as the woman suddenly started moving towards Mama. No! They couldn’t hurt her! Mama needed to rest!

Without thinking she leapt out from under the bed, throwing herself between Mama and the woman. The woman stumbled back in surprise, obviously not having expected Skye to appear.

“Don’t touch my Mama!”

The two adults glanced at each other then back at her. Neither looked especially fazed, and the woman even took another step forward. Skye scowled furiously, raising her hand like she’d seen Iron Man do on TV.

“I’ve got- I’ll blast you through the wall if you don’t stop!”

The woman’s eyebrows shot up at that, whilst her partner looked like he was about to start laughing. Skye’s scowl deepened. How come Mama could always make people scared even though she was way smaller? Why couldn’t Skye do it too?

“Figures she would’ve inherited her parents’ overprotectiveness” The man muttered, causing the woman to start laughing too. Skye pouted.

“Stop laughing! It’s not funny. You’re s’posed to be scared. Quit it!”

The man roared with laughter then, as the woman attempted to apologize through her quiet chuckles. Neither succeeded in resolving the situation.

“We aren’t trying to hurt your… Mama” The woman eventually managed. Her hands twitched as if she wanted to use them, but she resisted. Skye narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you trying to touch her then?”

The woman shrugged helplessly, glancing back at her friend.

“She looked uncomfortable. I was going to shift her so it wouldn’t be painful when she woke up.”

Skye hesitated, lowering her hand a fraction. They didn’t _look_ like bad people. And she was pretty sure bad guys didn’t start laughing when they were supposed to be doing bad things. Skye put her hand down decisively.

“Who are you then?”

Again, the woman’s hands twitched, but she kept them by her side.

“Natasha Romanoff. This is Clint Barton. We work with your parents.”

Skye frowned, looking over at her parents.

“Don’t you talk? I thought you talked earlier?”

Clint said nothing, and Skye turned back to look at him. She studied him carefully for a moment, finally spotting his hearing aids. Eyes lighting up, Skye began to rapidly sign,

‘My name is Skye and I am 11 years old. Are your hearing aids broken?’

Clint looked both surprised and pleased.

‘Yes. They were damaged in the battle. Do you know what the doctors said about Phil?’

Skye faltered over Clint’s sign for Phil, not recognising it immediately. She responded hesitantly with the sign for father, and Clint nodded.

‘Papa is in a C-O-M-A. The doctors will wake him when he is healed. You were part of the battle? Are you A-V-E-N-G-E-R-S?’

Clint laughed at the obvious excitement and admiration in Skye’s face.

‘I am Hawkeye… H-A-W-K-E-Y-E. Natasha is the Black Widow’

Skye couldn’t help giggling at Clint’s sign for Natasha, which was a spider.

‘That’s so cool! What weapons do you use? Have you met Captain America?’

‘You like Captain America, yeah?’

‘I love him! Papa and I collect comics and trading cards! He was meant to get them signed, but I don’t think he did. Do you...’

* * *

Natasha smiled softly, slipping past Skye so that she could adjust May’s position. The little girl was too distracted by her discussion about Captain America and the other Avengers to even notice or care. In that moment, Natasha was suddenly sure that everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I couldn't bring myself to kill Phil, even temporarily, so Phil is and will remain alive. I should also mention that Bahrain won't be happening in this story. Rescuing Skye is the mission they went on instead. Someone mentioned potentially developing Skye into Daisy Johnson/Quake, and i wanted to say that if i do decide to go down that route, it won't be in this story. I'm ending this after Clint and Skye finally realise their connection, with plans to do a series of one shot sequels filling in gaps.


	5. Winter Soldier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2013, April 4th: Hydra is exposed, the Triskelion is destroyed  
> 2013, April 5th: Skye is with the Bartons  
> 2013, April 9th: Coulson is appointed Director

Skye was exactly two months and 18 days short of being a legal badass teenager when her world crumbled. It had been thoroughly shaken before, like when dad was in his coma, or that time her parents had gone MIA and she’d thought they were dead, but this was different. Mom and dad were Home, and Safety and Goodness, but Shield was her whole world. She had made detailed plans about how she would best become a Shield agent as soon as she was old enough, and made mom teach her all her badassery so that she was properly prepared to kick ass. And now Shield was gone.

At (okay fine, _technically_ still not a teenager) 12, her parents still weren’t comfortable leaving her totally on her own when they went on missions, so the compromise was that her elderly neighbour, Grace, would check up on her every evening and make her tea. Since it was a Thursday, she had been forced to suffer through school for an entire day, and then had to literally combust between two sweaty teenagers for a whole 17 minutes on the dreaded bus ride home. It was pure torture.

She swung her bag onto the sofa, kicking off her trainers and checking her phone to see if she had any new messages. She didn’t. The house was expectedly empty- _awesome_ – which meant there was no one to nag her about homework. Skye opened up a bag of chips and clicked on the tv. She jumped as the sound of an explosion leapt through her speakers, followed by the voice of a panicked reporter.

“This just in- The Triskelion, primary headquarters for the agency known as SHIELD, has been severely damaged during an attack which is now being refereed to as a HYDRA uprising. The attack- “

Skye switched the TV off, breathing heavily. The bag of chips fell to the floor, forgotten. Fumbling with the special ‘emergencies-only-don’t-you-dare-use-it-for-prank-calls-Skye-Coulson’ phone her parents had given her, she quickly hacked into the Shield servers, choking out a sob as Captain America’s speech played out loud. Shield was gone. Hydra had infiltrated it. People she had considered friends were enemies, or-or, dead. She had known people who worked at the Triskelion- good people. Had they got out okay?

* * *

It took several minutes for Skye to talk herself down from a potential full-blown panic attack, mute Captain America’s speech, and dial dad’s number. It went straight to voicemail. Cursing aloud, Skye tried Mom’s number, but the same thing happened. She wiped at the tears streaming down her face. Maybe Clint would pick up? Skye gave out a cry of anger as the voicemail message played again. She suddenly recalled that Clint had been sent on a mission two days ago, with no contact. She wondered if he even knew what was going on.

Skye briefly considered calling Nat, but then she remembered that she had been partnered up with Captain America a lot recently, so she had probably been equally involved in the whole thing. Laura then? Skye bit her lip. She didn’t technically have Laura’s actual number. The one on her medical file (which she had totally not hacked into ages ago) was just a generic one for Shield medical. Skye ran upstairs and grabbed her laptop. It didn’t have such easy access to the Shield servers, but she always preferred to hack from her computer anyway.

The world blurred away as Skye worked, fingers spinning across the keyboard at lightning speed. It was difficult to work with the tears falling onto the keys and making her vision swim, but she did anyway. She needed somebody.

Bingo! Skye reached for the phone and punched the number in, desperately trying to calm her breathing so she didn’t sound totally psycho over the phone.

“Hello?”

Skye jolted at the voice of a little kid, obviously even younger than her.

“Um, I was looking for Laura, i- “

There was a long pause, as Skye was forced to listen to the heavy breathing of a kid, obviously pressing the phone too close to his mouth.

“Mommy is crying.” The kid said matter-of-factly. Skye frowned. Mommy? Laura didn’t have kids, did she?

“Well… Tell her it’s Skye.”

“That’s a funny name,” The kid giggled, but there was obvious movement from his end, “Mommy, the sky wants to talk to you.”

Skye heard a choked gasp, and then Laura’s voice came clearly through the phone,

“Skye? Is that you? Please tell me you’re safe?”

Skye sank back against the wall, feeling instantly safe at the sound of Laura’s melodic voice.

“Laura! I-I’m okay. I’m at home, but I-I don’t know- um I’m alone; I can’t get through to Mom and Dad”

“Oh sweetheart, breathe, okay? It’s going to be alright” Laura soothed, “Do you have money on you? I’m going to give you directions to my house, okay?”

Skye nodded, before remembering that Laura couldn’t see her.

“I- yeah, I have money. Um, I need to tell my neighbour I’m going. She was supposed to watch me whilst Mom and dad were on mission.”

“Alright, Skye. Go and talk to your neighbour. Call this number again once you’re done. And maybe pack some clothes? I’m not sure how long you’ll be gone.”

Skye whispered goodbye and hung up. She looked around her bedroom, and shakily began to load things into a bag. She took as many outfits as she could fit into her one suitcase and loaded her school rucksack with her gadgets and some books. Skye suddenly panicked that she might never come back here and raced from her room, gathering together all of the pictures her parents had lying around. She couldn’t take the ones on the wall, but the few on the mantle were a reasonable size, as were the one’s on Mom and dad’s chest of drawers. She wrapped them all in bubble wrap for good measure and loaded them into a separate bag.

Satisfied that she had packed everything she could, Skye ran next door, knocking quickly and firmly on Grace’s door.

* * *

Laura’s house was kind of adorable. It was like those homes she’d always imagined staying in as a little kid, with a huge garden and a tire swing, and even a treehouse. Skye wasn’t sure why Laura would actually need those things, but then she remembered the kid on the phone earlier. Maybe Laura babysat in her spare time? She knocked hesitantly on the door. Laura’s instructions had been so unnecessarily specific that there was no way she had the wrong house (especially since there wasn’t another for miles), but she couldn’t help feeling nervous.

The door swung open almost instantly, and Skye suddenly found herself being assaulted by two young children, both grabbing at her and pulling her inside. Skye was barely able to take in their appearances before she was being led into the kitchen. The boy was older, obviously. He had straight brown hair, and wore a red checked top over a yellow t-shirt. The girl was still a toddler, with chubby cheeks and lighter brown hair pulled into plaits.

“I’m Cooper!” The older boy chirruped, and Skye recognised his voice from the phone. Skye smiled and introduced herself. The little girl’s hands were sort of sticky, she realised, and wanted to squirm free, but the kid had apparently decided that she wasn’t letting go, and she had a surprisingly strong grip.

“I’m Lila. I’m two.” The little girl announced suddenly. Skye blinked at her, trying to work out why Laura had two kids living in her house.

“Skye! I’m so sorry! I didn’t here the door go,” Laura swooped in and pulled Skye into a very welcome hug, before turning to Cooper, “Coop, you know you aren’t supposed to open the door without me. What if it had been a bad guy knocking instead?”

Cooper pouted.

“But I knew it was Skye cos you said so before!”

Laura merely sighed.

“I’m just making dinner. Why don’t we take your bags up to your room? Cooper, Lila, you can watch TV but only CBeebies, alright?”

The kids cheered and ran into another room, where there was presumably a TV. Skye watched them go in stunned silence.

“Um, you have kids?”

Laura winced, as she picked up Skye’s suitcase and began carrying it upstairs.

“Yeah. Cooper is mine from a previous relationship- he’s nine- and Lila is mine and Clint’s, but I guess you’d worked that one out yourself.”

Skye nodded slowly. Anyone with eyes could see that Laura and Clint had something going on (and mom and dad loved to tease them about it). She wondered if mom and dad were aware of Lila. Laura showed her into a spare bedroom.

“Mine and Clint’s is just down the corridor. I’m afraid you’ve got Lila opposite you, but she shouldn’t disturb unless the door’s open. “

She continued to ramble on, but Skye had tuned her out. She wasn’t angry, really. Of all the things that had happened recently, finding out that Laura and Clint had a secret family tucked away didn’t even come close for the biggest shock. She got it anyway. Mom and dad weren’t very open with other agents about her existence either. She couldn’t count the number of times they’d introduced her as a temporary mission, or the kid of a friend that they were looking after. It had hurt at first, but then she’d grown up and realised why. They were protecting her.

“How long till dinner?” She asked suddenly, cutting across Laura. The older woman looked surprised.

“45 minutes, maybe? Why?”

Skye merely beamed at her.

“I figured I should get to know my new niece and nephew.”

Laura laughed at that.

“You do realise that you’re closer in age with Coop than Clint, right?” She called after her.

* * *

Mom and dad called late the following evening. It surprised Skye a little. She hadn’t forgotten that her parents might be in danger, but Lila and Cooper had kept her occupied, showing her all the hiding places in the house, and giving her a tour of the treehouse. Apparently, Clint had built it, but neither Cooper nor Lila were allowed in without adult supervision. Skye was delighted to learn that she counted as an adult in this situation, and Laura assured her that if she ever needed space, she was welcome to use the treehouse.

“It’s a lot better than locking yourself in your room,” She pointed out kindly “especially since the kids aren’t allowed in without express permission, so you get some proper privacy.”

Skye was lying on the balcony of the treehouse when they called. She shot up, nearly banging her head on a low hanging branch, and raced back towards the house, nearly missing the answer button in her haste.

“Mom? Dad? You’re okay?”

It was dad’s voice that came through, despite the call being from Mom’s phone.

“We’re fine sweetheart. I’m sorry if you were worried. Are you still at home? We can come get you?”

Skye nodded at Laura, who looked equally worried, mouthing that they were okay. The woman sank back into her armchair in relief.

“I’m at Laura’s house. I called after I heard what happened, and she figured it would be safer. I wasn’t sure if our house is on record.”

“It isn’t,” Dad replied easily,” I’m glad you’re with Laura though. Did you tell Grace where you were going?”

“Yeah, I told her I was going to visit my sister-in-law since you were going to be longer than expected. I dunno if she believed me though.”

Dad laughed.

“Hey, will you put me on with Laura? I want to talk to her.” Skye smiled and handed the phone over, heading upstairs to find Lila. She felt as if a pile of bricks had been lifted from her chest. She didn’t even mind when Lila insisted that she be the evil witch in their make belief game. Mom and Dad were okay. She wasn’t going to be an orphan again. She wasn’t going to go back to the sisters-

Skye paused, ignoring Lila as she asked why they’d stopped playing. She hadn’t even thought about that. What _would_ happen if mom and dad were gone? Did she just go back to St Agnes’? Skye suddenly felt ill.

“Skye?” Laura called up the stairs, “Your dad needs to go now if you wanted to say goodbye.”

Skye sighed and headed downstairs. There was probably no point in dwelling on it. Mom and dad were okay now. That was the important thing.

“I need to talk to you.” Laura told her softly, once she’d hung up. Skye squinted at her.

“um, why?”

“It’s about what I was discussing with your dad. About making sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t!” Skye spoke up quickly, “I’m basically a teenager. I can look after myself. Besides, Shield doesn’t even exist anymore, so it’s basically a non-issue.”

Laura laughed,

“Phil thinks there will probably still be a Shield, just, you know, not the same as before. They’re going to gone for a while though, sorting things out.”

Skye nodded. She had kind of expected that. Her parents were good at fixing things.

“They ah, they don’t want to leave you alone for all that time.” Laura continued gently. She had that voice on; the one people use when they’re trying to let someone down easy.

Skye shifted uncomfortably,

“They don’t want me to go home.” She stated calmly, not surprised when Laura nodded.

“Skye, they want you to stay with me, here. I- I told them I was okay with it if you are? You know you’re always welcome here.”

Skye lit up! That was way better than what she’d been thinking. A part of her had kind of thought that they were just sending her back, because it would be easier. Of course she would want to live with Laura! Laura was awesome, and she loved Cooper and Lila (even if they’d only known each other one day)

“Definitely!” She cried, pulling Laura into a hug, “Totally! Can I decorate my room?”

Laura beamed at her.

“You can do whatever you like with it. It’s yours now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was actually really tough to write because it kind of felt more like filler than the others, since it doesn't really focus on the films. I couldn't see Skye being genuinely involved in the Hydra uprising though, so i had to work around that.


	6. Age of Ultron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2014, April 28th: The Avengers raid the Sokovia Hydra base, and meet Wanda and Pietro  
> 2014, May 2nd: Ultron becomes sentient  
> 2014, May 3rd: The team ends up at Clint’s house, meeting his family and Skye

Laura puttered quietly around the house, attempting to make as little noise as she could in her heavily pregnant state. It was more difficult than she’d expected. She knew that if Skye were awake, the almost 14-year-old would surely be scolding her for doing anything active at all, but Laura couldn’t help feeling guilty that Skye was doing so much.

When Skye had come to live with them just over a year ago, it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Laura had found out she was pregnant only a few months later, and it had been far more taxing on her body than either Cooper or Lila had ever been. Alone, she would have surely struggled to take care of her children and the house.

Skye was such a sweet girl that, as soon as she’d realised what was going on, she had immediately stepped up and taken responsibility. Had Laura wanted, she could have spent the last eight and a half months doing absolutely nothing at all. As it was, she mainly just felt guilty. Skye had run herself into the ground, looking after the kids on an almost constant basis, on top of her own schoolwork, and keeping the house tidy. It was no wonder she had fallen asleep in front of the TV now.

The sight, Laura had to admit, was adorable. Skye was slumped in the middle of the sofa, with Lila snuggled up on her chest, and Cooper half asleep, resting his head on her other shoulder. She discreetly snapped a photo and moved to switch the TV off, since no one was actually watching. As the sound died, Laura paused, realising that the hum of a plane was coming from outside, rather than on the programme. She stiffened. No one was supposed to know where they were, but neither Nat nor Clint had called to say they were coming. She bit her lip, glancing over at the children. It felt wrong to move them when there could be no danger, and yet…

Laura shook her head. It was Clint. It must be. They’d been so careful, and nothing had happened even when Shield collapsed, so they knew the secrecy had held. Cooper shifted and frowned up at her.

“Mommy?”

She turned to smile warmly at him.

“It’s alright Coop. Stay here…” She faltered, glancing out the door, “If you hear any bad noises, wake Skye and Lils, and get to the safe room, okay?”

Cooper nodded sleepily, curling back into Skye. Clearly, he had decided that there probably wasn’t a threat, and was far too comfortable to worry about it. Laura headed cautiously towards the front door, peering through the frosted glass. She could make out several figures, which worried her, but Nat’s red hair stood out vividly. It was easy to guess what had happened. A mission gone wrong, the avengers needed a safe house, Clint had decided that this was the safest. She unlocked the door and rushed out to them, moving to Nat’s other side when she noticed how the woman leant on Clint.

They stopped in the porch, and Laura turned to face the stunned avengers.

“You’d best be quiet. Unfortunately, the kitchen is the largest space we have, or I’d make you all go into another room. “

“Why?” Stark piped up. He looked rather like someone had hit him several times over the head with a metal pipe. Laura snorted subtly at the image.

“The kids are asleep.” Was all she would say on the matter.

* * *

Cooper really was asleep when the Avengers finally came into the kitchen/living room. Laura could tell, because the little boy took after his dad and uncle in his loud snoring. She helped Nat onto the only remaining armchair and wrapped a blanket around the girl’s shoulders.

“What the fu-“

Steve gave Tony a disapproving glare, and the man trailed off, still staring at the kids like they were alien threats.

“Skye is here?” Clint asked quietly. He knew of the arrangement, but it seemed that Skye had been staying with the Barton’s more and more recently. Laura sighed.

“Mel keeps getting sent on dangerous mission, and Phil is so busy running Shield. Skye says it’s fine but…” She gestured towards the sleeping teen, “I’m pretty sure this is the first time she’s slept properly in weeks. It’s bothering her way more than she lets on.”

Clint squinted In annoyance,

“I’ll have a word with Phil next I see him.” He grumbled. “Poor kid.”

Laura opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Thor stumbled backwards and crashed into the door, causing it to bang on the wall.

“I have to go.” He told them bluntly, before rushing away. Laura stared after him in surprise but made no move to go after him. She could recognise a man on a mission, who would not be stopped.

“Laur? Wazgoinon?” Laura winced. She had hoped Skye would stay asleep for at least a couple more hours, but apparently the girl was a lighter sleeper than she’d thought.

“It’s alright, Skye,” She placated her, “Go back to sleep, now”

Skye opened her eyes fully, stiffening at the sight of multiple people in front of her.

“There are people here,” She stated bluntly, “Watching me sleep. I think I’m awake now. Thanks anyway Laura.”

She carefully adjusted Cooper and Lila so that they were sleeping on each other, instead of her, and got up. She narrowed her eyes at Laura

“You’re supposed to be resting. I can deal with these people. You sit down and take it easy.”

Without waiting for an answer, Skye shifted the kids and gently pushed Laura down into the space on the sofa, giving her a look that could have rivalled her mother’s, or even Nat’s. Laura stifled a laugh, knowing that Skye had her best interests at heart. The young teen was exceptionally good at being a Mother Hen.

* * *

Bruce was confused. He probably wasn’t quite as confused as his teammates, but it was a near thing. Clint hadn’t said much on the way over, or even once they’d arrived, But Bruce was good at making deductions. He was an intelligent man. The woman (Laura?) had clearly known Clint and Natasha, and vice versa, considering their familiar greeting. He might have assumed a family friend, or perhaps another agent, if it were not for the pictures.

It had been the first thing Bruce had noticed once they entered the house, barring the rather more obvious detail of three kids asleep on the sofa. There were pictures everywhere. Most were probably taken around the farm, featuring the two younger kids playing on a tire swing, or riding a tractor. There were several baby photos too, and pictures of the whole family, which, to Bruce’s surprise, all featured Clint. Several clearly later ones also featured Nat, who looked surprisingly comfortable being hugged by a toddler and little kid. They must be Clint’s kids then, though Bruce couldn’t imagine how young Clint must have been when they’d had the older boy, since he still seemed so young now.

There was a new picture on the mantelpiece, and Bruce moved to study it. He was curious about the older child, since she hadn’t featured in any of the other pictures, but this one was clearly recent. The kids had been taken off guard, by the looks of things; The eldest girl was swinging the little boy into the air, both laughing freely, as the toddler clung to the girl’s leg, smiling adoringly up at her. The frame had apparently been a team effort, combining toddler scribbles, badly glued on feathers, ribbons and sequins. Someone had stuck small foam letters to form words along the sides, and across the top, and Bruce squinted to read them. ‘Cooper’ he made out, down the left side, Lila’ in purple and yellow down the right, and ‘Skye’ made out of the largest letters splashed across the top.

Bruce smiled and put the picture back. It was cute and gave him some idea about the kids’ names (though he couldn’t tell which was Lila and which was Skye). He jumped at the banging door behind him and turned to see Thor storming away. He vaguely considered following, but the situation must have been under control, because no one else seemed especially worried or concerned.

* * *

Dinner was chaotic. Skye apparently had a lot of experience with heavy appetites and had cooked up a delicious feast suitable for probably around twenty people with regular appetites. The table was crowded, with Lila, the little girl, sitting on Skye’s lap to make space. Cooper swivelled on the office chair, which had been pushed through, and chatted excitedly with Stark. They seemed to have found a kindred spirit through their love of gadgets. Steve watched curiously. Natasha had vanished long before food could be served (though Steve suspected Skye had ensured that she was fed) and since she was his usual go-to person at large group events, he had expected to feel lonely and out of place, but he found that he didn’t.

The Barton’s were exceptionally kind people. He had known that Clint was, of course; the man was always the first to make anyone feel welcome, and he was good at keeping people distracted from their suffering with light humour, so it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise that his family was the same. Laura was exceptionally kind- he could tell that within minutes of meeting her; she had welcomed near strangers into her home without a word of complaint and treated them all like family. From what he had gathered, she had worked in Shield originally, so he could imagine that she was probably tougher than she looked. The kids, Cooper and Lila, were young (probably too young to make any firm judgements on so far) but they were well-mannered and sweet, adapting to the new situation easily and cheerfully. Though, Steve pondered, as he glanced around the table, Skye probably had something to do with that.

Steve had liked Skye instantly. She was bright and funny, with a clear protective streak. He couldn’t help but admire the way she’d filled the room instantly, taking leadership and giving the avengers something to do whilst she cooked. Even Stark, who was well-known to reject orders of any kind, had followed her without issue.

“How are you so good at taking charge?” He blurted out suddenly. Stark, who had been quietly explaining JARVIS to Cooper, trailed off and gave him a funny look.

“I’m not?” Steve waved him away and gestured to Skye,

“You just- you took charge of all of us like it was second nature.”

Skye giggled, clearly amused, rather than offended, by his question. He was slightly embarrassed to realise that the rest of the table had fallen silent, eager to hear her response.

“Looking for some tips, Cap?”

Steve went red and began stammering some kind of apology, but then he realised that Skye was still smiling, and that her comment must have been a joke.

“It’s fine. I-uh got inspiration from Captain America comics, actually. ‘s why it’s so funny that you asked.” The rest of the table couldn’t hide their laughter, and even Steve smiled slightly, finally seeing the joke.

“My dad and I collect them. Trading cards too! We have this huge vintage set back- “She stopped herself, but Steve was still smiling. He only knew one person at Shield who had vintage Captain America trading cards, and Steve was not a man who believed in coincidences.

“Your father is Phil Coulson? How is he?” He enquired placidly.

The smile dropped from Skye’s face in an instant, and she pushed back her chair, with Lila scrambling onto her dad’s lap.

“Shut up! Just, shut up!” She yelled furiously at him. The table shook dangerously and a vase crashed to the floor. Laura opened her mouth to say something, but Skye wasn’t finished.

“Don’t you dare tell me off Laura! You aren’t my parents! They aren’t even freaking here.” With that, the teen turned on her heels and stormed out of her house, leaving the adults to stare after her in shock. Lila began to cry.

* * *

Natasha’s favourite part of the Barton farm was the woods. They stretched out for miles behind the main house, even fitted with a Treehouse that Clint had built years ago. She had always found it calming to go for long runs whenever she was upset, and the woods were perfect for those needs. Nobody ever even came out here because it was so secluded, so she got them all to herself to clear her head.

It was difficult to shake free from her nightmare. The images were burned into her mind, and no matter how fast she ran she couldn’t escape them. Natasha wiped the tears away desperately, attempting to steady her erratic breathing. She needed to calm down before she went back. The last thing Natasha wanted was for the kids to see her like this. The ground suddenly shifted beneath her feet, and Natasha stumbled, frowning in the direction of the house. Skye never normally got upset enough to have an episode. Maybe she should head back and check on her?

Slowly, she began to move towards the house. If Skye had left, she would go to the Treehouse, so Natasha figured she would check there first. She knew Skye tended to be more receptive to Natasha than to Laura or Clint, much as she loved them all. It was probably because Natasha was most similar to May, and the teen could almost pretend that her mum was there.

The lights were on in the Treehouse, to Natasha’s relief, and she climbed up. Skye would never say yes if Natasha actually asked to come up, so this was easier.

“Go away.”

“No. Going to talk to me?”

“Do I have to?” Skye’s eyes were red rimmed, but she seemed to have calmed herself down somewhat.

“Would you rather I got Laura?” Skye paused then slowly shook her head.

“I just got upset.”

“Did Stark say something to you?” Natasha asked softly. She loved her teammates, but Stark could often run with his mouth without meaning to. He also had no idea about what Skye had been through, making it easy for him to rub raw wounds accidentally. To her surprise, Skye shook her head again.

“Clint?” Natasha pressed. She knew Skye wouldn’t have gotten this upset without someone triggering her, and Clint seemed the next most likely. Another slight shake.

“Steve.” Skye responded finally. Natasha’s eyebrows shot up. He seemed like the last person Natasha would have expected to set Skye off.

“It wasn’t his fault,” The girl quickly remedied, seeing Natasha’s face, “He was being polite, I just. I got angry because…” Natasha cut her off.

“He asked about Phil and Mel.” She realised, “And you got upset because you miss them. Am I right?”

Skye groaned and nodded miserably.

“I feel awful! It wasn’t his fault at all, and he probably thinks he did something wrong and I’m mad at him, but he didn’t and he’s still my favourite- “

Natasha coughed pointedly and Skye blushed.

“Sorry Nat. Dad got to me first. You can’t beat Cap.” She joked, relaxing a little. Natasha snorted.

“I’m telling Clint.” She teased, causing Skye to punch her arm gently.

“Clint’s like, seventh on that list.” She bit back, smirking. Natasha jolted, surprised at how familiar that expression was. She had seen it on Clint’s face so many times, and it only made her realise how similar the two looked. Sure, Skye’s features were darker, but they had the same smile. It was bizarre. Natasha tucked the thought away, knowing Skye would definitely not appreciate the observation. They sat in silence for a moment longer

“Steve will understand if you explain to him. You know he grew up in an orphanage himself?”

“Yeah,” Skye giggled, “Dad told me that like my first day with them. I’d had a nightmare and I completely soaked the bed. Got scared out of my mind that they’d send me back. Mum heard me moving around to hide the evidence and they came to check on me. Um, when they realised that I thought they’d kick me out, they curled up In bed with me- one on each side. Took turns listing reasons why they were never letting me go till I fell asleep. After that, whenever I had a nightmare, one of them would cuddle up with me and tell me the reasons again. It’s been a while… I guess I forgot the reasons why. I-I mean I know they’d never give me up, but- “She choked up a little, wiping her eyes.

“Maybe you can call them this evening? Tell them how you’re feeling?” Natasha asked, recognising that Skye was done talking. Skye nodded, settling into the silence. She curled up to Natasha, the two of them staring up at the stars for a long time.

“Ready to go back?” Natasha asked eventually.

“Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Nat.”

* * *

If Clint hadn’t been so worried about Skye, he would have been amused by Steve’s expression. The poor man looked as if he had run over someone’s puppy and killed it.

“It isn’t your fault,” Laura soothed, “Skye’s just going through a rough time. You couldn’t have known.”

“She has powers,” Bruce observed quietly. He had left the table, and wordlessly cleaned up the mess from the vase, for which Clint was grateful. He shrugged hesitantly,

“Phil and Mel don’t exactly talk about it, and I’ve never discussed it with Skye, but uh, yeah.” He confirmed, staring back out of the porch.

The lights in the Treehouse were on, so he knew Skye was there, and every part of him was itching to go to her, but he didn’t. They’d learnt the hard way that Skye didn’t react well to confrontation. She would come back in her own time, and on her own terms. He sat up as he saw two figures clambering down from the Treehouse and let out a sigh of relief. Nat must have talked to her.

Skye looked rather bashful when she arrived. Her eyes were a little red, but almost unnoticeable if you weren’t looking. Clint pretended not to see. He knew Skye would hate to have attention drawn to it. She stuck her hands into her jacket pockets and strode up to Steve.

“Sorry I yelled. I wasn’t upset at you, I just.” Skye took a deep breath, her eyes flickering to Clint before she continued, “I’m adopted, and my parents have been really busy lately. I guess it just brought up old insecurities about them not wanting me anymore.”

Clint’s breath stuttered to a halt. Skye was adopted? How had he not known that? He’d known Skye for years but had never once even questioned who her parents were. She looked like the perfect mixture of Clint and Mel. Clint opened his mouth to say something and jumped as Fury burst past him.

“Playtime’s over. We need to talk.”

Clint frowned, the questions lingering only a second longer. He could talk to Skye later. Ultron was more important right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully i was able to express it clearly in the story, but i just wanted to emphasise the fact that Phil and May aren't at fault here at all. They're busy people, basically running the whole of Shield, and spend time with Skye whenever they can. Skye is just struggling to deal with it, that's all.


	7. Reassembled Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2014, May 28th: Nathaniel Pietro Barton is born  
> 2014, June 22nd: The Couslons celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Skye being adopted, inviting the Avengers and the Bartons.

Laura was already laughing as they pulled up to the Coulson’s house. She hadn’t been here very often- only once really, to collect the rest of Skye’s belongings- but the little two-story townhouse oozed comfort and familiarity. She had been apprehensive about coming all the way out here with little three-week-old Nathaniel, but Lils and Coop had been so desperate to come, especially when Skye told them that all the avengers would be there again. Besides, it was the fifth anniversary of Skye being adopted, as well as her legal birthday (since she hadn’t known hers before); Laura wouldn’t miss it for the world.

She unbuckled Lila and Nathaniel’s car seats, hoisting her youngest son up onto her hip.

“C’mon Coop. Let’s go” the older boy grinned at her and raced towards the house.

“Are the ‘Vengers here yet?” Lila asked sleepily. Laura laughed, as Clint rang to doorbell, and Cooper knocked enthusiastically.

“Not yet, Sweetie. We came early, remember? To help set up.”

The door swung open to reveal Phil and Mel, both looking extremely stressed, and relieved to see them.

“Do you think one of you could try talking to Skye? She locked herself in her room and won’t come out.” Phil asked, looking fretful. It was obvious that this had been an ongoing battle all morning.

“I’ll go” Clint offered, “You help Mel and Phil, Laura. You know I’m rubbish at all that stuff.” Laura sighed and nodded, watching him head upstairs.

After Skye had talked for a long time with her parents about how she was feeling, they’d come to an arrangement where one or both of them would be home for half the week barring emergencies. Skye had been delighted, since it meant she could actually go home and be with her parents. She had been doing so much better, so this sudden apparent change of heart made no sense. Was she unhappy about her situation? Was something wrong at school? Maybe it was just teenage hormones causing her to act out, but Laura couldn’t help worrying. She hoped Clint was able to get through to her.

* * *

“Hi Skye.” Clint hadn’t expected a reply, but the silence was still a little disconcerting. Skye had always been a generally talkative person, even when she was upset.

“You know, if you’re angry at your parents, I’m happy to help you get revenge. You gotta open the door, though. I’m not great at talking to wood.” He thought he heard a soft giggle, but there was no response. Frowning Clint tried again,

“Are we re-enacting that scene from Frozen, cos I gotta tell you I know all the words. You know how much Lila loves that film.” This time, there was a definite noise, and a moment later, the door creaked open.

“I’m not upset at mom and dad.” Skye mumbled. She was clearly upset though, Clint realised. Her face was damp and blotchy, and her eyes were still watery, like she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Okay… Want to talk to me?” He asked, making sure to keep his voice level and indulgent. He didn’t want to force her hand. Skye shrugged pathetically.

“You wouldn’t get it.” She intoned glumly. “I want Steve.” She moved to go back into her room and Clint squinted. Skye and Steve had only really talked once, and it hadn’t even been a proper conversation, since Fury had interrupted. For Skye to want him, it had to be about something they had in common, and the only thing Clint could think of was that they had both been placed in orphanages. Thinking on instinct, Clint stepped forwards.

“I grew up in a circus. No parents. Just me.” He burst out. Skye paused.

“Okay?” she responded uncertainly. Clint kept going, realising he had her attention.

“I just figured, I have some experience with cra-uh, _awful_ parents. Try me.”

Skye studied for a moment, then moved away from the door, letting him into her room. Sighing with relief, Clint followed her.

* * *

Skye wasn’t sure why she was even indulging Clint. He probably wouldn’t get it, and she was like 90% sure he was kidding about the Circus. Still, he was a better bet than Laura, who seemed like she’d had a pretty idealistic childhood, or her parents, who would definitely take things the wrong way. She fingered the coin token in her pocket.

“I’m _not_ mad at Mom and dad.” She repeated hesitantly. Clint nodded, sitting himself down at her desk.

“I get that. You’re clearly upset about something though.”

Skye shifted uncomfortably.

“No, I mean, that’s the _problem_.”

Clint frowned.

“You’re upset because you aren’t mad at them? Kid, hate to tell you, but that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”

Skye groaned, taking out her coin and studying it.

“I’m upset because I love them, and i-I don’t want to find my real family anymore.” She revealed.

A look of understanding crossed Clint’s face, and he gestured for her to go on. He didn’t seem to have noticed what she was holding.

“I’m upset because I call Mom and dad ‘ _mom and dad’_ , but i-I _have_ parents. Real ones. I feel _guilty_ , because I’m giving up on them, but they must have wanted me at least a little. ‘Cos, they left me with _this_ , and they wouldn’t have done that if they didn’t care, right?

She held out the coin a little awkwardly. It was pretty filthy now, after so many years of being rubbed for comfort, or clutched in her grubby kid hands. Clint made a whimpering noise and went ghostly white. He toppled forwards to the ground, going very still. Skye shrieked and rushed forwards, shaking him fearfully. The coin tumbled from her hand and rolled under the desk, but Skye was too worried about Clint to retrieve it now.

“Clint! Clint! Clint? Wake up! Clint!”

She was vaguely aware of the fact that the whole house was shaking, but she needed Clint to wake up, and it so much more important than keeping her stupid powers under control.

“Skye? What happened?” Skye glanced up at Natasha’s voice. The other avengers must have arrived whilst she was talking to Clint.

“He fainted! I just showed him m-my coin, from my bio parents, and he-he just- “She trailed off at the look on Natasha’s face.

“Nat?”

The woman had begun to cry, tears running down her face without stopping. She stared at Skye like the world might crumble to ashes if she looked away; like Skye was the most important, and most tragic, thing Natasha had ever seen. It was terrifying.

* * *

Natasha couldn’t stop crying. She couldn’t stop looking at Skye either. Skye- Daisy- was Clint’s baby sister. In some ways it made sense- they were so similar – but Natasha couldn’t even imagine how Clint probably felt about it. He had practically torn himself apart with guilt for years, and he’d cried when he found out he was having a little girl. Lila’s middle name was Daisy, for crying out loud. The other avengers, and Skye’s parents, had all crowded into the room, trying to revive Clint, and calm Natasha, all to no avail.

Natasha suspected Clint had hit his head when he fell rendering him unconscious. She stumbled backwards, falling onto Skye’s bed, as the tears kept coming. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words. Everything felt so wrong. It shouldn’t be happening like this. She couldn’t _breathe_.

“Natasha, focus on my voice.” Phil’s firm voice was something of a comfort, as he counted steadily; Natasha focused on matching her breathing to the numbers, breathing in and out every two. After number 86, she realised that her breathing was coming more easily now, though she still struggled to speak.

“Natasha, can you hear me? Nod if you can.” May’s voice came.

Natasha nodded slowly, gradually realising that May and Phil had kicked out the other avengers. They must have realised how overwhelmed she was and wanted to clear the room.

“Natasha, can you tell me what’s wrong, please?” May continued gently. She was using the voice she used with Skye, Natasha noted; the one where she disguised an order as a question.

“Clint should-Clint, he-“

“Bruce is fixing Clint right up downstairs, but he’s in no condition to tell us anything right now, Natasha. I’d like you to tell me please.” Natasha squirmed, wondering if this was how children felt when they were being told off.

“Skye is Clint’s sister.” She murmured despondently, “He gave her that coin.”

There was a choked sob, and the sound of someone storming away. Natasha blinked back tears. How was she expected to explain when she didn’t even know the full story? Clint had told her bits of pieces, like the significance of the coin he’d tattooed over his heart, and Daisy’s name, but that was it.

* * *

Phil wasn’t sure what to think. He’d been terrified to hear Skye’s scream of terror from up in her room, but then he’d discovered that Clint had fainted, and Natasha began having a panic attack, and Phil felt as though his heart might explode from fear. The three people he considered _his_ (excluding Mel, because that was different), and they were all in so much pain. He didn’t know what to do. Mel arrived a moment after him, silently assessed the situation, and took charge.

“Calm Nat,” She instructed him, checking Clint’s pulse, “Steve, Bruce, get Clint downstairs to check him over. I think he hit his head on the way down.”

The two avengers followed her instructions without question, ushering Tony out with them, despite his mumbled protests. Phil shook his heads and turned his attention to Natasha, counting calmly in time with the clock on the wall- one number for each second.

May got Natasha talking, but Phil couldn’t hear anything past her first admission. Skye was Clint’s sister? Skye had _family_ \- a biological one. Granted, he knew it wasn’t a great one, considering what he knew of Clint’s past, but they were still _alive_. What if they tried to take her away? What if-

“Phil!” May hissed, “For goodness sake, go after her!”

Right. Skye had vanished. Unsurprising, considering her whole life had just crumbled around her. He should probably do something about that.

Skye didn’t really have a place to go in this house. He knew she had the treehouse at the Barton’s, but their house had little more than a small patch of concrete and mud for a backyard. They’d briefly discussed putting in a trampoline or something, but there was never the time, and they travelled so much anyway, there hadn’t been much point. She wouldn’t have left the house then. Phil frowned for a moment then realised. The walk-in wardrobe! Neither he nor May had owned enough clothes to make any use of the extra space in their room, so it had remained empty and largely unopened, but it was just the kind of hideaway Skye would love to curl up in.

He rushed away at once, slipping across the hall into his own bedroom.

“Skye? Sweetheart? Angel eyes? You in here?”

“Daddy?”

Phil paused at the timid voice, so unlike the brave, headstrong girl he had come to know. Skye had never called him Daddy. Not once. He had always been ‘Papa’, until the fateful day that she had switched to ‘dad’. They had never pushed for her to call them anything in particular, and he hadn’t minded at all, but the sudden use threw him.

“Hey baby girl, you want to talk?”

Skye came rushing out of the closet, throwing herself at him with a heart wrenching sob.

“Papa! _Please_ don’t send me away! I love you! Papa don’t- please!”

Phil melted, pulling Skye into the tightest hug he could muster.

“Skye Quiolian _Coulson,_ your mama and I love you more than life itself. There is nothing, _nothing_ that would make us give you up. I consider Clint my son, Skye. This changes nothing, expect for the fact that you have even more family who love you and want to keep you safe and protected forever. All those people downstairs? They _love_ you, baby girl. Clint may be your brother in blood, but you found you own family Skye, and that makes it a thousand times more special. The fact that the man you considered your brother, and your mama and I considered a son, is your biological brother is so _beautiful_. You have your family right here, and we are never, _ever_ leaving you.”

By the end of his speech, Phil was practically sobbing, and he finally broke down, rocking Skye backwards and forwards as he whispered ‘I love you’ over and over again.

* * *

“You gave me the coin.”

Clint shifted on the bed. They had moved back into Skye’s room, where she’d insisted that they would be more comfortable. His head was pounding and could swear there were spots of blood by Skye’s desk, but he had to admit that it was better than Phil and May’s room. The teen might be innocent enough to not consider what had happened in that bed, but Clint certainly held no such pretences. He cleared his throat.

“Yeah. I-I thought I might be able to track you down again. Ya know, when I was legally of age.”

Skye eyed him.

“You did- not my-our…parents?”

Clint winced. He had known it was coming.

“I did,” He confirmed, knowing the blunt and honest truth was what Skye needed to hear” After I ran away with you. I knew I couldn’t keep you, but it didn’t feel right to leave you in that house, knowing what they were like. They- Skye, they weren’t good people. He- your, uh father, beat me a lot. He had a horrible temper, flying off the handle at a moment’s notice, for no particular reason. And I- mom was a-a drug addict. My dad was her supplier, and when he was arrested, she found a new source. Cal was a doctor- microbiologist, I think. He did a lot of research. He was always finding mom new drugs to get her hooked. Beat her too, when she got too greedy.”

He noticed that Skye looked more thoughtful than sad and fell silent, waiting. He was sure she had about a thousand questions.

“Do you think Cal experimented on me? When I was a baby, I mean. I always wondered. Papa said my genetics had been altered, but they never got to the bottom of it.”

Clint raised his eyebrows.

“I mean, maybe? I was only there for a month, so he could have done it earlier. I-I gotta say there’s a high chance that he did, Skye.”

He didn’t try to call her Daisy. Daisy was the name of a vulnerable little baby, left on the doorstep of an orphanage years ago. It didn’t fit the strong, brave young woman before him now. Skye pulled him in for a hug.

“This is going to change things.” She realised, “I mean, I have an actual birthday now. And a brother.”

“Two,” Clint corrected automatically, regretting it at once when he saw Skye’s curious expression. He sighed.

“My- our older brother, Barney. I haven’t spoken to him in years. Laura… She asked me not to. Cooper is his son, you know. Left her when she was still pregnant. She uh, tracked me down, desperate for help, and the rest is history. I wouldn’t worry too much about him.”

“Two,” Skye repeated, though she seemed to have accepted what he said, “And a sister-In Law. A niece and two nephews. Hey! Maybe I can teach Nate to call me Auntie Skye!”

Clint laughed.

“You got a huge family now kid. And you know, I was practically your brother anyway. This really doesn’t change all that much between us.”

Skye smiled softly and snuggled into his chest.

“I love you, Clint.”

“Yeah,” Clint breathed into her soft hair, “I love you too kiddo. To the end of the world and back.”

“To the end of the Universe.” Skye corrected sleepily.

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! It's finished! Thank you so much to everybody who's encouraged me through this. It gave me so much motivation to keep going and finish the story, way earlier than i might otherwise have managed! As i mentioned earlier, i definitely have plans to add one shot extras to this, though probably in another story. I'm thinking of filling in some of Laura and Clint's gaps, which should be super fun! In other words, keep an eye out for more content.


End file.
